diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index acf6fb2..1ca3c9e 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 0.8.1
 =====
+  05-Jun-2011:  - readconf: allow spaces within string values.
+                  Note that leading and trailing spaces are removed.
   01-Jun-2011:  - new plugin_prefix: unconditionally prefixes outgoing
                   calls with a configurable prefix string
   29-May-2011:  - added search path "/etc/siproxd/siproxd.conf" to default
diff --git a/doc/siproxd.conf.example b/doc/siproxd.conf.example
index 1892696..b05ebf5 100644
--- a/doc/siproxd.conf.example
+++ b/doc/siproxd.conf.example
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #
 # !! This is a sample file, adapt it to your needs before using it !!
 #
-# !! Strings MUST NOT contain spaces !!
+# !! Strings may contain spaces (since 0.8.1)
 #
 
 ######################################################################
diff --git a/src/readconf.c b/src/readconf.c
index 06ac964..47a22a0 100644
--- a/src/readconf.c
+++ b/src/readconf.c
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ int read_config(char *name, int search, cfgopts_t cfgopts[], char *filter) {
  *                         with "plugin_xxx", skip the rest.
  *                         PLugins set this to load their scope
  *                         of config options
- * filter = ""           - read main configuration, skipp everything
+ * filter = ""           - read main configuration, skip everything
  *                         starting with "plugin_" (hardwired).
  *
  * RETURNS
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ static int parse_config (FILE *configfile, cfgopts_t configoptions[],
        *                         with "plugin_xxx", skip the rest.
        *                         PLugins set this to load their scope
        *                         of config options
-       * filter = ""           - read main configuration, skipp everything
+       * filter = ""           - read main configuration, skip everything
        *                         starting with "plugin_" (hardwired).
        */
       if (filter) {
@@ -263,19 +263,25 @@ static int parse_config (FILE *configfile, cfgopts_t configoptions[],
 	    // String
 	    //
 	    case TYP_STRING:
-	         /* the %as within sscanf seems to be not too portable.
-                  * it is supposed to allocate the memory
+	         /* the %as within sscanf is not portable (%as is 
+                  * supposed to allocate the memory within sscanf)
                   * num=sscanf(ptr,"%as",(char**)configoptions[k].dest);
                   */
 
 		 /* figure out the amount of space we need */
-	         len=strlen(ptr)+1; /* include terminating zero!*/
-                 tmpptr=(char*)malloc(len);
-                 memcpy(configoptions[k].dest, &tmpptr, sizeof(tmpptr));
-	         num=sscanf(ptr,"%s",tmpptr);
-                 DEBUGC(DBCLASS_BABBLE,"STRING=%s",
-                         *(char**)configoptions[k].dest);
-	      break;	    
+		 len=strlen(ptr)+1; /* include terminating zero!*/
+		 tmpptr=(char*)malloc(len);
+		 memcpy(configoptions[k].dest, &tmpptr, sizeof(tmpptr));
+		 /* get full string, until a "#" or end of line */
+		 num=sscanf(ptr,"%[^#]",tmpptr);
+		 tmpptr[len-1]='\0';
+		 /* strip trailing spaces */
+		 i = strlen(tmpptr);
+		 do {i--;} while (i>0 && tmpptr[i] == ' ');
+		 tmpptr[i+1]='\0';
+		 DEBUGC(DBCLASS_BABBLE,"STRING=\"%s\"",
+		         *(char**)configoptions[k].dest);
+	      break;
 
 	    //
 	    // String array
@@ -283,17 +289,23 @@ static int parse_config (FILE *configfile, cfgopts_t configoptions[],
 	    case TYP_STRINGA:
             {
 		 /* figure out the amount of space we need */
-                 char **dst;
-                 int used=((stringa_t*)(configoptions[k].dest))->used;
-		 // do I hace space left?
-                 if (used<=CFG_STRARR_SIZE){
-	            len=strlen(ptr)+1; /* include terminating zero!*/
-                    tmpptr=(char*)malloc(len);
+		 char **dst;
+		 int used=((stringa_t*)(configoptions[k].dest))->used;
+		 /* do I hace space left? */
+		 if (used<=CFG_STRARR_SIZE){
+		    len=strlen(ptr)+1; /* include terminating zero!*/
+		    tmpptr=(char*)malloc(len);
 		    dst=&((stringa_t*)(configoptions[k].dest))->
-                         string[used];
-                    memcpy(dst, &tmpptr, sizeof(tmpptr));
-	            num=sscanf(ptr,"%s",tmpptr);
-		    DEBUGC(DBCLASS_BABBLE,"STRINGA[%i]=%s", used, (char*) (
+		         string[used];
+		    memcpy(dst, &tmpptr, sizeof(tmpptr));
+		    /* get full string, until a "#" or end of line */
+		    num=sscanf(ptr,"%[^#]",tmpptr);
+		    tmpptr[len-1]='\0';
+		    /* strip trailing spaces */
+		    i = strlen(tmpptr);
+		    do {i--;} while (i>0 && tmpptr[i] == ' ');
+		    tmpptr[i+1]='\0';
+		    DEBUGC(DBCLASS_BABBLE,"STRINGA[%i]=\"%s\"", used, (char*) (
 			   ((stringa_t*)(configoptions[k].dest))->string[used]) );
 		    ((stringa_t*)(configoptions[k].dest))->used++;
                  } else {